To Our Readers:LNP Media Group will begin today a four-month process to transition our newspaper's printing and production operations out of downtown Lancaster.

Although our printing and production operations will be moving, our editorial, sales, marketing and support staffs will remain in downtown Lancaster. We will remain committed to producing LNP on its current seven-day-a-week schedule. Also, our content, both in print and online, will remain focused on Lancaster County.

The printing and production operations will move to a state-of-the-art regional print center in Mechanicsburg. Readers and advertisers will see a marked improvement in the quality of the newspaper, including significantly enhanced color capabilities that our current presses are unable to deliver.

The move away from our aging and increasingly obsolete production equipment means that we will be able to invest more in our news, content and sales staffs as well as our growing digital offerings and marketing services. In addition, the property our presses and production facility now occupy in downtown Lancaster will be developed in ways that will enhance the burgeoning downtown.

The move, however, does come with a significant impact on our staff. When the transition is completed, we expect that approximately 40 full-time employees and 35 part-time employees may lose their jobs. We will work to find places for some of our displaced employees in other parts of Steinman Communications. We will also help with job placement outside of our companies. The Commonwealth will offer its early intervention service, known as Rapid Response. LNP will also provide severance to employees not placed in other positions with Steinman Communications.

Our aging equipment required us to consider how we will print and produce our product in the future. Our press is no longer supported by its manufacturer. Other essential equipment is also no longer supported by their manufacturers. Various suppliers of essential supplies for our print and production processes no longer produce supplies for the technology we use.

The human impact of our decision, however, prompted us to rigorously evaluate every conceivable alternative that could have kept our print production process in house. We discussed these issues with every significant press manufacturer around the world and consulted with industry experts.

However, presses with excess capacity already exist in Mechanicsburg, Reading and Philadelphia, making any attempt to establish a regional print center in Lancaster inevitably unsuccessful. Instead we will be redeploying those resources into our operations that focus on news gathering, content creation, and marketing for our customers. This is another step in our effort to provide news and information that people in Lancaster need, want and value; facilitate and enhance important community conversations; and help businesses of all sizes to grow and to prosper.

We have been a part of this community since the George Washington administration. We have a long-term commitment to Lancaster County, and to honor that commitment, it is critical for us to remain nimble, innovative and relevant. With heavy hearts for those affected by this decision, we know this is a critical next step in the evolution of our organization.